Real Problems
by acciojd
Summary: Hermione and Ron have to deal with a boggart which has taken up residence in their new home.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Just a little two-shot for Ron Weasley's Birthday! I was re-reading book five, and was reading about Molly's boggart and was thinking 'man, something tells me Ron' biggest fear is not spiders anymore either!' They never really brought the Boggarts back for the trio, so here is my interpretation of how it would have gone. Enjoy.**

**Ch. 1 Biggest Fears**

Hermione Granger hadn't faced a boggart since she was 13 years old.

Honestly, she was completely content to keep it that way. She had suspected, for quite some time now, that her boggart had changed since her third year Defense Against the Dark Arts final. There was just no way that at 22 years old, after having successfully fought and survived the Second Wizarding War, her boggart was still Professor McGonagall telling her that she failed everything.

Hermione Granger suspected this, but she had absolutely no interest in finding out what her boggart was now.

"Can't you do it? You're the best at spells." Ron said, whining slightly, blue eyes wide and pleading at his girlfriend.

"You are a bloody Auror!" Hermione retorted, causing Ron's eyes to widen further. Caught by surprise by her language, his intended response got lost and he merely gaped at her.

"You are so sexy when you curse." Ron replied when his wits caught back up to him, causing Hermione to smile slightly.

The young couple was facing a minor conundrum. They had recently bought a small house together. It was a charming cottage home that was older but had plenty of "character." They had been in the process of cleaning it out and moving their furniture into the home, when Ron had come across a boggart in the upstairs hallway closet. To Hermione's surprise instead of banishing it himself, he called for her and asked her to take care of it.

This was unusual. Not that boggarts were particularly menacing, but Ron was incredibly overprotective and certainly didn't seem keen on asking Hermione to do anything that could even be construed as dangerous. Although she knew he didn't doubt her capabilities, to ask her to do anything with a dark creature, even just a boggart, was incredibly out of character for him.

Twenty minutes later, the two were sitting at their new kitchen table glaring at each other. Hermione had no interest at all in taking on a boggart. It wasn't that she was afraid of it, but since she didn't know what to expect it was something that made her incredibly uneasy. Besides, he was an Auror, surely a boggart was not too much for him.

"Please Hermione, I promise you didn't fail everything." Ron said with a smirk. She sighed, now frustrated with him.

"I don't understand, Ron, I know you hate spiders but I didn't think you still couldn't face them. You've been through so much worse." She didn't mean for this statement to sound condescending, but as soon as the words left her mouth she realized that they did.

In response, Ron's face turned bright red and for the first time since the conversation began, he took his eyes off Hermione's and stared at the ground.

Hermione found this peculiar as well. When Ron wanted something from her, whether it was more pancakes, his back rubbed, or for her to proofread an essay, he would widen his baby blues at her like a lost puppy dog. She couldn't resist him when he looked at her like that. But now he was looking away, ears turning that famous Weasley red.

"notspiders." he mumbled, resuming his deadpanned stare at the floor.

"Pardon?" She asked, not really understanding what he had said.

"Bloody Hell, Hermione! I know I have the emotional range of a teaspoon, but do you really think my biggest fear is still bloody spiders?" Ron said, voice now raised. He got up from his chair, and began pacing around their new kitchen.

"You've faced one again?" Hermione said, surprised by this new information. She thought that she knew absolutely everything there was to know about Ron Weasley. Up until about 30 seconds ago, had she been asked "what is Ron's Boggart" she would have confidently answered "Spiders, or more specifically Acromantula's."

Ron nodded once, and began his pacing again. His arms were wrapped tightly around himself, rather protectively, and he was biting his lip.

"When?" She asked. She couldn't help herself. It was evident by Ron's distress that this was something that was somewhat personal and perhaps he hadn't shared it with her for a reason, but her curiosity got the best of her.

"Training" he replied gruffly. This confused Hermione even more. What on earth were boggarts being used for in Auror training? The wheels in her head were spinning as she looked up at Ron. He had stopped his pacing, but his arms were still folded and he was still biting his lip. He looked at her with an expression that was both a mix of expectancy and nervousness.

"Harry.." She whispered. It hit her all at once. Ron and Harry had gone through Auror training together. Surely whomever was in charge of their training curriculum had figured that having Ron or Harry face a boggart would give the trainee's a chance to face Voldemort, even if it was just a fake version of him.

She smirked a bit, remembering what Harry had told her about Professor Lupin while they were in their third year. Lupin hadn't wanted Harry to face the boggart then because of his misplaced concern's that Harry's biggest fear was Voldemort. Clearly their trainer had same idea.

"Voldemort?" she asked understanding slightly. Perhaps the thought of Voldemort hanging out in their upstairs hallway didn't appeal to Ron. It didn't appeal to her either actually, but what if her boggart was Voldemort too? Who on earth could they call to get rid of it? Neville maybe? But something told Hermione that like herself and Ron, Neville's biggest fear had changed too.

Ron sighed in frustration and leaned against the wall. His wand was clutched tightly in his right hand. He was still biting on his lower lip, something Hermione had noticed he only tended to do when he was very nervous.

Now Hermione was very curious. She knew that she should just go upstairs and take care of it and let Ron be, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to know about Ron's new boggart, and more importantly why he had kept it from her.

"Ron?" She asked. She had expected him to affirm the Voldemort boggart but he had remained silent on the matter.

"Not Voldemort" he responded after several full seconds of silence.

"Well then…"

"Drop it, Hermione." Ron interrupted, and began walking out of the room.

"But…" curiosity was really getting the better of her now.

"I said drop it." Ron said, but he was not yelling. It was more like pleading. "I'll take care of it, I shouldn't have asked you."

Hermione stood up, following him as he walked out of the kitchen and began to climb the stairway to the second story of their home, where the boggart was currently located.

"No, Ron. I'm sorry. I'll take care of it." Hermione said, concerned now for her boyfriend. She wasn't sure what it was that he had faced during Auror training, but it had clearly upset him greatly. She didn't want him to have to go through it again.

Ron turned on their stairs to face her. For a second, Hermione thought he was going to start shouting at her, but then he caught her by surprise and kissed her.

Hermione returned the kiss, allowing herself to be pinned up against the wall side of the stairs as Ron continued to kiss her almost feverishly. When he broke away from her for air, Hermione looked into his eyes and saw the look of pure tenderness and love that he had for her. The passion in his eyes made her feel weak in the knees.

He grinned momentarily before resuming his somber expression from earlier.

"The problem is, there is no way to make my boggart funny. If it were Voldemort, I could have put him in a tutu."

"What happened last time?" Hermione asked, feeling this was a safer question than asking him what he saw.

"Couldn't banish it." Ron said, blushing a bit. "It was bad, I kind of lost it. Harry had stun me so I wouldn't hurt myself."

"WHAT?" Hermione said, shocked by this information. "How did you pass the training then?"

"The trainer felt like such a git, trying to use me and Harry to bring back Voldemort for an exercise. He realized that given what we've been through, we had some horrors in our heads that he didn't consider. So they didn't fail me."

Hermione was horrified by this information. She had no idea Ron had gone through something so horrible and she hadn't been able to comfort him or even just be there for him.

"No. Ron. You're not facing this again. You don't have to tell me what it is, but I'm not putting you through it again. I'll go put Voldemort in a tutu." Hermione said with a smile.

"You think yours will be Voldemort?" he asked and she nodded in response. This seemed to satisfy him.

"Ok then, I'll go make us some tea." Ron said, turning down the stairs.

"Thanks darling" she said before heading up the stairs.

'Voldemort in a tutu..' she whispered to herself, giving herself some encouragement.

As she approached the closet door, she pictured the bright pink tutu her mother had forced her to wear to dance at age 6. It was a hideous thing, with ribbons and sparkles, and the whole frilly lot. It would look fantastic on Voldemort, she decided.

She opened the door, wand at the ready.

And out came Ronald Wealsey, whose eyes met hers for a split second, before he collapsed on the ground. His limbs were spread out at awkward angles and the blue eyes that she had just seen so much love in were staring blankly and unseeing. He was clearly dead.

Hermione couldn't do anything but scream.

**a/n: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! I'll be writing one more chapter to this (Ron to the rescue+Ron's boggart). I really appreciate reviews and constructive criticism is welcome. As I stated earlier today in "The Arrangement," my grammar is… not the best… and I'm in the market for a beta. Please let me know if you or someone you know is interested!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back! This is my second and final chapter of the 2-shot story "Real Problems" I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know what you think.**

**Chapter 2**

Ron was sprawled out on the ground; his limbs twisted awkwardly and his blue eyes open and unseeing. His skin, although never exactly tan, had changed to a terrifying shade of white.

Hermione was screaming. She knew, at a subconscious level, that it was not really Ron who was lying in front of her. However, she couldn't seem to remember that as she stared at her dead boyfriend. She had, truthfully, been expecting Voldemort.

And why shouldn't she? She had been living peacefully and happily for the last 4 years, ever since Harry had cast the final blow. Voldemort's return would signify the end of her happiness, the end of her safety and the end of everything that she and Ron had built together. She had genuinely thought his return was her biggest fear.

But now, as she saw Ron's body, which was broken and without the spark of the man she loved so much, loved more than life itself, she realized what her biggest fear actually was. She had been naive to thing otherwise. Because without Ronald Weasley by her side, it wouldn't matter whether Voldemort returned or not.

* * *

><p>Ron dropped the teakettle when he heard Hermione scream. It shattered into pieces when it hit the floor, pieces flying in all different directions. The water, which was fortunately still cool, spilled out across the tile floor.<p>

For a split second Ron's heart clenched as he was transported back to the Malfoy Manor, back to the sounds of Hermione being tortured by Bellatrix. Then he took off, with no other thought in his mind other than 'get to her.' He bounded up the stairs, taking on the entire staircase in about three long strides and reaching the top in seconds.

When he rounded the top of the stairs, he stopped short at the scene in front of him. It's not often one seems themselves lying dead upon the floor. His eyes darted quickly from his own dead body, to Hermione and back again. For a movement he was utterly bewildered. Then, one wild second later, his brain finally caught up with what he was seeing.

The boggart.

He reached out and grabbed Hermione's arms, pulling her towards him, before cupping her face in his hands and turning her away from the site and turned her towards him.

"It's not me, Hermione." He whispered, trying to force her to take him in. She finally stopped screaming as he whispered to her. "It's not me. I'm right here."

**CRACK**!

At the sound of the boggart shifting, Hermione jumped about a foot in the air.

As Ron came into the focus, the boggart switched tactics and changed for him. Ron knew what it would be, having seen it before. At the crack, he closed his eyes. The figure of Ron lying on the ground changed into that of Hermione, also clearly dead. To add to the horror, blood was covering her face and gushing out of a horrible wound in her side pooling around her.

When Ron reopened his eyes, he didn't take his eyes off the living, breathing, and beautiful woman in front of him. Hermione, however, looked at herself and found her breath got caught in her throat.

"Oh my.." she whispered.

But before Hermione could even take in the scene in front of her it shifted again. Hermione's biggest fear was not of herself dying, nor was Ron's of himself dying. The boggart was forced to switch tactics in an attempt to torment both of them at the same time. Had their fears not have been in tandem with each other, this would have been impossible. As Professor Lupin had once said, there was an advantage to dealing with boggart's in numbers. Half a slug was not remotely frightening.

Unfortunately, the boggart was able to terrorize them both, with the same fears.

**CRACK**!

The image of Hermione left, although the blood remained. A small child appeared, a little girl with red bushy hair, who was crying horribly as blood rushed out of a wound in her side. "Mommy? Daddy?" the little girl cried. With a cough, blood spilled out the side of the little girl's mouth.

That caught both Ron and Hermione's attention, and Ron lost his focus on his real Hermione and turned to the child. They had never seen this girl before, but the likeness was there. She had Hermione's nose and Ron's freckles. She was perhaps 6 years old.

"Help me mum!" The little girl cried, before collapsing onto the ground.

Ron couldn't move. He was frozen into place. Frozen by a child he had never met, never even seen. Hermione and he were not ready to have children yet, they were not even married, but the site in front of him still froze him to the very core.

It was Hermione, falling to her knees beside him that snapped him out of it. This wasn't real. This wasn't their child. Hermione was hurting because of this boggart. His Hermione was right next to him and was in pain. Ron had to do something about that. Ron had to protect her.

Ron raised his wand, and as he did so, there was another loud **CRACK** as the boggart turned it's attention back to Ron. The little girl disappeared, replaced again by Hermione, this time still alive, but only just. The boggart-Hermione was choking on her own blood and trying desperately to breathe.

Ron faltered, but the real Hermione stood back up and placed a hand into his.

"Ron…" the boggart-Hermione coughed out, raising one arm towards him. Ron shook his head and focused on the warm hand in his. His Hermione was alive and right next to him.

"It's not me, Ron." His Hermione whispered. The same words he had spoken to her earlier.

"I know." Ron spoke, focused on her.

"Let's do it together." Hermione said, raising her wand.

Before the boggart could crack and shift again. The two shouted together.

"_RIDDIKULUS_!" The boggart-Hermione tripped towards them before turning into a smoke and disappearing before their very eyes.

In an instant, the adrenaline that had helped Ron destroy the boggart left him. His hand slipped out of Hermione's as he took two steps back so that he was up against a wall. His knees gave out, and he felt himself slide down.

Hermione sat down next to him, placing her head on her shoulder. Ron felt her lean into him and he sighed. It was over. The boggart was gone, but more importantly they were both okay and they were together.

"I love you so much, Hermione." He said, in barely a whisper. Hermione didn't respond, but a smile spread upon her face for the first time since she had left Ron on the stairwell.

"When they brought out the boggart in training, I honestly had no idea what to expect. When the boggart turned into you, bleeding to death and calling out for me, I actually believed it was you. I forgot about the training all together."

_Flashback_

_Alright, Potter. Weasley. Which one of you wants to go first?"_

_Ron and Harry turned to each other. Both were wearing matching gym pants and black t-shirts with 'Trainee" stamped across the front and back. Although they were both feeling a bit singled out for this exercise, the singling out wasn't particularly unusual and they had learned to adjust accordingly._

"_Flip you for it?" Harry asked. Ron surveyed his best friend for a second before responding. Ron knew why they were doing this. They wanted to see which trainees balked at the mere presence of Voldemort. It was stupid really, Ron and Harry were considered the 'experts' on Voldemort, but what good would it do any of them to deal with a boggart form of him? It wouldn't even be close to dealing with the real thing._

"_Nah, I got this one." Ron didn't really want to force Harry to come face to face with Voldemort just yet. Harry shrugged and bowed in jest, extending his arm toward the cupboard where the boggart was being held. The other trainees were lined up against the back of the room looking nervous and awaiting to see how this would unfold._

_Ron smirked at Harry before turning to face the cupboard. _

_Whatever the trainers, trainees, Ron, or Harry were expecting went out the window when, instead of Voldemort materializing and terrifying all the trainees, Hermione Granger walked out from the darkness._

"_Ron.." she whispered before collapsing onto the ground. Blood was spilling out of the corner of her mouth, dripping down her pale chin and staining her teeth red. A deep wound in her side had blood pooling around her body, expanding out into the training room._

_Ron dropped his wand and ran toward the dying girl._

"_No.. No.. No.. Hermione. Hold on." Ron cried, sobs racking his body, as he placed one hand on her injury trying to stop the bleeding._

"_Why'd y-y-y-ou leave m-me?" she asked right before her eyes rolled back in her head. _

_No one was moving. Everyone was too stunned to react. It took a full 30 seconds for Harry to recover and get over the shock of seeing Hermione. He was the first one to move, running towards Ron._

"_Ron, that isn't her!" Harry cried, putting his arm on Ron's shoulder. "It's a boggart, Ron. Remember?"_

_But Ron was now shaking he was sobbing so hard. Harry didn't dare cast a banishing spell of fear of injuring Ron, who was still clutching the boggart- Hermione._

"_Ron, please. It isn't her!" Harry said more forcefully. But Ron didn't seem to hear him. He let out a tortured noise, somewhere between a scream and a howl, and wrapped his arms around himself. His nails began cutting into the skin on his forearms, and he continued to claw at himself. Harry watched, horrified, as his best friend began to hurt himself. _

_It was when Ron lunged for his fallen wand. That Harry, scared of what he would do if he got a hold of it, did the only thing he could think of._

"_Stupefy." The jet of red light hit Ron in the back, and he slumped over unconscious next to the dead Hermione-boggart._

_At this, the trainers finally snapped to out of it. One banishing the boggart, while the other, looking incredibly pale instructed Harry to take Ron to the healing ward. _

_End flashback_

"I was too scared to face it again," Ron continued. "I would never had asked you to take care of it had I known you would have to see that."

"What did you think would happen?" Hermione asked. She was confused, what on earth made him think it would be any different for her, really?

"I really thought it would be Voldemort. Or, I don't know. Maybe getting demoted at work or something?" Ron guessed.

"You think I'm more scared of getting DEMOTED than of you DYING?" Hermione asked, shocked, taking her head off his shoulder and scooting around so she was facing him. Ron's ears turned red and he looked down at the floor and mumbled something she didn't quiet understand.

"What is it, Ron?"

Ron sighed before leaning his head back against the wall.

"I guess I just figured, you'd be fine without me, if I died. You'd get some new bloke, probably someone more deserving, and move on with your life." Ron started, and before Hermione could interrupt, Ron continued, "and I can't see myself living with you. It hurts just to even think of it." Ron finished turning a brilliant shade of red.

Hermione couldn't help it. Ron was being so absolutely ridiculous that she actually smirked a bit.

"Ronald. Bilius. Weasley." She started, glaring at him, before choosing her words wisely. "This insecurity thing was endearing at 16, but now it is just getting ridiculous." Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione silenced him with a glare and continued.

"I love you as much, if not more, than you love me. Living without you is not only my biggest fear, but it just doesn't seem physically possible. You are my rock, my best friend, and my hero. You, Ron Weasley, are everything."

"You mean that?" Ron asked, a huge grin spreading across his face.

"I do. And If I to tell you everyday for the rest of my life so that it sinks in through that thick skull of yours, I will." Hermione replied smiling back to him.

"Could you add in how wonderfully handsome I am?"

Hermione smacked him playfully on the arm, before kissing him softly.

Breaking apart, Hermione looked into Ron's eyes, once again seeing the love he had for her. She smiled slightly and said, "Glad that's over. I could use a drink, do we have any firewhiskey?"

**A/N: well there you have it! Please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism and ideas are more then welcome. I really appreciate any reviews**.


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